How do i measure waste reduction?

Question

This is for a PSP project that I am trying to find out how I can measure waste around the home and work.

Answer 1

At home you could count the # of trash bags you produce each week and then weigh each bag before putting it out on the curb.  You could also weigh your recycling bin (empty and then filled to find the weight of your recyclables).  In the workplace it is likely that waste is measured by the weight or area of a dumpster.  Weight works best if the dumpsters can be weighed before they are emptied.  If you want to know waste for a specific item, (e.g. paper) you could figure out the weight per ream and then multiply the weight times the amount purchased.

Answer 2

How long do you have? You will need at least 1 week (the longer the better) but this is how I would do it t:

Be the one in charge to take out the trash so you can inspect and record findings:

Ask your mom to help you keep track of what she uses as well-

During 2 days, life as normal, record everything that goes in the trash: towel papers, cans, jars, cereal boxes, food containers.

Then the next 2 days: ask for collaboration from your family to pull it off:

Use rags in kitchen and for cleaning instead of paper towel

Use cloth napkin instead of paper

Use plates instead of paper plates.

Keep glass jars to re-use as rice containers or craft containers.

During this time also track the amount of trash. Obviously the result should be substantial decrease in trash taken out.

Also, time people in the shower the first 2 days. The next days ask them to hurry as much as possible and time them.

To know the savings: open the shower for 1 minute and don't let the water go anywhere. Measure with a measuring container, how much water you got in 1 minute. Now you can tell how many gallon where saved when people took shorter showers. You can also make it more impressive by adding the number of gallons every person saved from the normal shower to the shorter shower to get the HOUSEHOLD savings.

I hope it helps!

Try to think other normal things you do around the house that can save:

Light bulbs (regular vs fluorescent)

AC vs opening windows

recycling nespapers, reusing computer printouts.

At work , reusing coffee mugs  and water cups instead of using a dispossable one for every serving

Answer 3

One less question like this would be quantifiable waste reduction of time.

Answer 4

The only way to measure waste reduction is to document. Hazardous Waste dept's have a hazardous waste manifest that is required by law. So at the end of each year the total amount of waste that was sent out for disposal is itemized and documented. The following year, a comparison is done to notify the state of the amount of waste reduction by the company.